


Love's a Little Drunk

by Vedettal



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Not Related, M/M, Mentions of murder-cases
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-14
Updated: 2015-01-30
Packaged: 2018-02-25 05:36:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2610413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vedettal/pseuds/Vedettal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU where Herc is a police officer, Chuck is a college student, and the Hansens are not related.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Un-beta. Any and all mistakes are mine.
> 
> So, this is my first attempt at a Chuck/Herc multi-chapter fic. So, bear with me if I mess up royally. Hopefully that won't happen but no guarantees. And this is also an experiment. I have no idea if I'll be any good at drawn-out plot stories, but I'' try. Tell me what you think. 
> 
> Explicit because of obvious reasons in the future. I'll update the tags as I go.
> 
> I got this idea from a prompt on tumblr. "Accidentally called your number while drunk asking for a ride and you actually came au."

Herc receives the call around two A.M.

His initial gut reaction to the drunken slurs of words being shouted into his ears was to dismiss it as another one of those prank calls. Herc's gotten plenty of those in his time. And he was in no mood, nor did he have the time to deal with what was probably a group of teenagers bored and stupid and looking for a little juvenile fun on their quiet Friday evening.

Granted Herc should have been in the bed, retaining what was left of his sanity and possibly gearing himself up for the long day tomorrow, but something was keeping him awake. A little something called the Holligrand case. Petty robbery gone wrong: ended in a double homicide of the Holligrand couple, leaving only an eye-witness--their twelve-year old daughter--alive.

 _Poor kid's never gonna recover from that,_ Herc had thought when Stacker presented him the file. Plopped it right on Herc's desk with a cold, dead stare. Herc knew the man hated anything to do with orphaned youths.

Herc couldn't blame him.

The Chef of Police had adopted an orphan girl of his own. Little Mako, Herc was fond of calling her. Parents' death were a result of an armed bank robbery. Tragic story. One he and Stacker worked on personally and kept close at heart.

So, Herc had taken the files home and was in the process of reexamining the crime scene photos when his phone rang.

"Look, I-" Herc spoke into the call but was promptly interrupted by a deeper, more older voice than that of a typical teenager's.

"Raleigh, hey! I need you to get your lazy arse out of bed and come pick me up!"

"I'm not-" Herc objects, but his words find no volume.

"'m at Tendo's. You know where Tendo is, right? 'course you do. We went there last year for your shitty birthday party and-"

The call cuts out, and Herc is left there confused, annoyed, and a tad-bit amused. That was not a call addressed to him, that was clear, but it didn't appear to have been a prank either. The guy, from what Herc could tell, sounded to be in his twenties, maybe a little older, and it was apparent by the tone in his voice and the slurs of his words that the guy had been drinking. Obviously he was trying for his friend, _'Raleigh'_ , and had punched in Herc's number by mistake.

And now, in his own folly, the poor bastard was probably out there in the cold, intoxicated on some street corner and expecting for his friend to arrive and drive him home, not knowing he dialed the wrong person.

Maybe it was Herc feeling sick from looking at photos of mutilated bodies over and over, or maybe it was the fact that he was a police officer and the guilt of leaving a drunken civilian out on the curb of a cold, Autumn night would weigh on his conscious too hard, or maybe it was morbid curiosity and fuck-it-it's-Friday-and-I'm-not-sleeping-anytime-soon mentality that made Herc toss on a suitable set of clothing, pocketed his keys from the counter, and starting the drive up to Tendo's.

Whatever his reasoning, Herc was sure to regret it in the morning.

 

 

 

The guy--kid, more like it--was not what Herc expected. Admittingly, Herc wasn't sure what he had hoped to see. A young bachelor fresh out of grad school, maybe. Still in his prime with an office day job, looking to unwind with friends in the after hours, and having a few too many Vodkas and Jack Daniels, consequently. Hell, Herc thought he'd encounter a married father out on his night off from the kids sooner than the youth he spotted, leaning half-asleep on a discolored fire-hydrant.

Kid looked no older than twenty-one, and appeared to be one of the university students, if the mascot of the giant bulldog on his shirt was any indication to go by. He was wearing some gray, ugly cap, and his eyes were struggling to stay awake when he surveyed Herc pulling towards him.

The shift in looks as the kid registered the car belonging to his friend's most definitively was not had been unmistakably. The dip in his walk as he staggered towards Herc did all to reassure the older police officer that the kid was all but sober.

"Who the fuck are you?" the kid asked as Herc stepped out to meet him.

Herc wasn't quite sure how to meet the kid's question. He thought of just telling the kid he was a cop, but something in the kid's look made Herc rethink that decision. He decided on a little dry humor. "Your ride." The kid didn't even blink, yet alone answer. Herc offered him a smile. "I got your call."

The kid leers at him, eyeing him from head to toe before shaking so furiously he tripped two steps back.

"I didn't call you. I called Raleigh."

"You thought you did."

Kid twists his lips into a sour frown and pulls out his phone, fidgeting with something before breathing out a frustrated groan. Herc watches halfheartedly as he clicks at few more things, bringing the phone to his ears and waits. Seconds pass by and his frown changes into a scowl. He pockets his phone and exasperates a sigh of defeat, blinking up at Herc.

"So, what? I call you by mistake, and you show up, anyways?" Herc shrugs, and the kids huffs in response. "That's mildly terrifying. What are you, a serial killer? A loner with nothing more exciting to do with your life than to answer the calls of a wasted university student? Or maybe you're one of those perverts thinking that if you give me a ride home, you'd get lucky."

Herc glowers because fuck, the kid is an ass.

"No. Just here to give you a ride, kid."

"Screw off. 'm not gettin' in the car with you, old man."

Herc should, and he wants to, but all his years and instinct as an officer of the law is denying him the need to simply abandon the rude-arse to his own fucking problems so Herc can return to the warmth and comfort of his home, where a bottle of red wine and unsolved murder cases awaited him. _Stupid cop psychology..._ So, he sighs and explains to the kid. "You're drunk and alone. It's not safe out here."

Kid's incredulous as he folds his arms across his chest and leers back at Herc. "And that means I should get into a car with some complete fucker I happen to misdial?"

_Brat's sure got a mouth..._

"You're goin' to freeze to death out here, maybe even get mugged, if you're lucky enough."

"Hell do you care? What are you, a cop?" The silence in Herc's answer takes less than two seconds to register on the kid's mind. "Fuck. You _are_ a cop, aren't ya'?"

"You gonna let me give you a ride now?"

Kid chews on his answer. "Show me your badge."

Herc does, and the kid squints down at it. Like he's seen one before, like he could differentiate the reals from the counterfeits. "Satisfied?"

Kid straightens back and fixes his lips into a grimace. He's noticeably grinding his teeth together, and upon closer inspection, Herc has no doubt his age of twenty-one. But there's something about the kid that Herc's seen before. Something in his eyes. Like-

"Still not getting in that car with you," kid announces abruptly.

Herc growls. He's growing tired of this back and forth. They'd been standing here in the cold, arguing for a good ten minutes, and at this rate, Herc would rather be staring down pictures of dead bodies than exchanging quarrels with this kid.

"Fine. Stay out here and freeze to death. Your fuckin' problem."

Herc hastens to the car and starts the engine, relieved as the heater sputters on, biting away his shivers. He waits for the motor to warm and is about to drive off when the passenger side door swings open, and the kid steps in. There's a moment of bewildered amusement in Herc's eyes as he studies the youth. Kid's pissed and irritated and all kinds of begrudging acceptance to the car ride.

If Herc laughs, it's because he does.

He starts the drive.

Herc asks the kid where he lives, and the kid tells him. And yeah, if Herc hadn't decided to show, the kid was definitively spending his night in some gutter.

They don't speak much the whole ride, not that Herc minds too bad. His brain is still partly on the Holligrand case, and the kid was noticeably too spent and wasted to voluntarily strike up anymore of his sharp remarks. Herc did asks his name, however.

"Chuck," he answered.

"Short for Charles?" was Herc's reply.

No answer. Herc saw through his peripheral the kid had gone silent, eyes hung a little lower than before, and fingers scratching at something at the side of his pants. "Most people just call me Chuck." It was subtle but Herc--the cop that he was--had noticed the drop in the kid's mood as he spoke. Chuck didn't let the thought linger any longer though. "Your's?

"Herc."

"Herc? What the fuck kind of name is that?"

"It's short for Hercules."

"Who the fuck names their child that? Is your dad Zeus? Did you have to kill a hydra? Steal Hippolyte's belt? Clean up King Augeas' stable? Parents probably had low expectations for you, huh? All brawn and no brains, or so they myth. Guess they weren't wrong, seeing as how you're a cop and all. Bet ya' didn't finish college, huh? Spend all that time at the gym-"

Herc immediately regrets asking the kid anything. How the fuck did he know all this? Herc didn't even know all this. _University Einstein..._

"Fuck off," Herc grunts. Kid shrugs and sits back, and they drive in utter silence the rest of the way there.

A good fifteen minutes later and Herc is knocking on Chuck's apartment door, hoping desperately the kid has some sort of roommate, because Chuck--that obnoxious jackass--is passed out cold in the passenger seat, refusing to wake. Luckily, Chuck does. Tall fellow, around the same age as Chuck, give or take a few, in nothing but his sweats. Blonde, hazel eyes, kind of looks like a puppy... He introduces himself as Raleigh, and ah, makes sense now.

Herc points to the sleeping beauty in his car, and Raleigh shakes his head, apologizing deeply for his friend.

"If I knew-"

"It's alright, son."

Raleigh directs him to Chuck's room and Herc takes it upon himself to carry the drunken brat up to his room. Room's dark, save for the small, single window near the bed, but it's enough for Herc to set the kid down on the bed, removes his cap, and pulls the sheets up just for good measure.

Herc blinks, because kid's got the the same ginger-red hair as him. Looks almost like Herc, in a way. Except for the asshole part. Still, it was hard to believe this was the fiery brat Herc had picked up earlier when, in his sleep, kid looks almost sweet. Kinda handsome, if Herc was to judge. But that was Herc's fucked up thought for never.

He exhales softly and quickly shuffles out the room, refusing Raleigh's offer to repay him for the gas. He tells the kid it had been no problem and to make sure Chuck doesn't drink at Tendo's without a ride anymore. Raleigh is in agreeance.

It's half-past three when Herc's back home. He doesn't bother with the wine or the case files. Instead, he strips down to his boxers, washes his face off, and falls back down on the bed, because, hell was he exhausted. It's a little before five minutes when he drifts off.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after. Chuck and Raleigh get into a little argument.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally here! I am so sorry for how long this took. I had means to release this a month ago or so, but it took me a while to get the story down and this chapter just escaped me honestly. Though I have no real excuse except for that I'm a lazy procrastinator. Sorry again!

His memories of the previous night are foggy at best. The general schematics laid out and wired in his recollection, but the finer, minuscule details of whats and hows obscured by smudges of stained alcohol. Chuck didn't strain too hard for the specifics though, deciding on a shower instead.

He runs it cold like he likes it, finds it helps with morning hangovers. Trick he picked up in the system. Least one decent thing happened out of those years, he thinks. Chuck's not sure if he should be more concerned that it actually propel his first drink at such a young age. He figures not, what with amends and modifications from his first time. Now he drinks just enough to get by certain nights.

Chuck wasn't an alcoholic, after all.

Having stood underneath the water till his skin was nearly numb, Chuck dried himself off and toss on a decent pair of clothing, sighing when he saw the time on his phone. He had slept just past three. Nearly a whole day wasted. He never likes that. And now his stomach was sort of nagging at him.

Making his way out of his room and into the sitting area, he sees Raleigh sitting there on the couch, working on a project or studying of some sorts. Chuck greets him with a hoarse "hey" before clearing his throat carefully.

"Feeling better?" Raleigh asks when he spots Chuck walking past him and into the kitchen.

"Yeah," Chuck murmurs, moving to pour himself a glass of orange juice from the fridge. Sitting down at the kitchen counter, he watches Raleigh click away at his keyboard, textbooks sprawled across the couch and coffee table. "Thanks."

Raleigh shrugs, not bothering to glance up from the screen. "Thank the cop. Y'know, the one that brought you home."

Chuck sighed internally.  _Herc. Right, that happened. Mis-phoned an off-duty police officer and had him drove me home while I was half-conscious, ready to face plant in some forsaken gutter._ Chuck didn't know if he should be grateful or mortified that the guy actually showed up. He was leaning more towards the latter. Bugger probably thought Chuck was some drunken frat boy on the prowl of a Friday night and had gotten too wasted to dial his phone properly.

Not that he cared what the cop thought...

"So did he mention anything?" asks Chuck, taking a small sip of his juice.

Glimpsing up from his laptop, Raleigh gave him a funny look. "Not really. Just that we agree you shouldn't drink without a ride anymore. Why?"

Chuck didn't answer him, choosing to finish his drink instead and trying his best to forget about the whole affair. He didn't need a cop poking around his life, asking one too many questions, raising matters he long chose to buried. Chuck was careful to stay below police radar for such a reason. Hadn't gotten into any legal trouble for years now, and he wasn't planning on starting up again.

Last cop that tried to help Chuck had fucked off when he found out what the kid was up to in his spare time. Didn't need that on his records, Chuck figured.

"You could have told me, y'know?" The abrupt cut in silence took Chuck by surprise and he blinks for a few moments before glancing at the spot on the couch where his best friend was sitting, stern look strung about his face.

"Tell you what, Raleigh?"

His voice was soft, tired, almost as if he was let down by Chuck. "That you were going out. Again."

Chuck grits his teeth together and rolls his eyes in annoyance. "It was a coupla drinks. Don't see what the big deal is." It wasn't like this was first time he had gotten mildly wasted at some bar, in need of a ride afterwards. Usually he was more coordinated about that, true, but last night - last night was an exception.

"I could have at least been there to give you a lift," Raleigh tells him, putting aside his laptop and frowning just a bit.

"Well I got home, didn't I?"

Raleigh scoffs at him, letting his voice rise a little louder when he spoke. "After getting piss-drink and picking up a ride from some cop and having him carry your sleeping-ass to bed. You're lucky even brought you home instead of just he arresting you for underage drinking."

The only response he had to that was an incredulous, "You let him carry me into my room?"

Raleigh laughs this time, shooting off his best look of utter disbelief. "Oh yeah, that's what you're focused on," he says, waving off in the air, "it's not like you haven't invited strange men into your bedroom before."

Chuck was pissed now. Hasn't a clue why Raleigh was being such an asshat right now. He had been in worse situations than last night's, much worse considering all those time he sneaked out while under his foster parent's roof. All those time he stole into pubs and bars, far too underage to not be noticed. Those nights when Chuck had some middle-aged men pressed against the wall of some toilet cubicle or back behind the dumpster in some alley, on his knees, mouth swollen around their cocks, their fingers in his hair, petting him, urging him on. He'd even let some of them fuck him, if he thought they were good enough.

So, yeah, he's been doing this for a while. Didn't see why Raleigh was pissed off now.

"Fuck off, man," Chuck grunts, not wanting to say anymore.

Sighing, Raleigh allows his expression to soften, showing slight concern for his best friend. "Look, Chuck. I'm just worried about you. That's all."

"Don't be. I can take care of myself."

"I know that. It's just - I don't think you should be doing this anymore or-"

"Or what, Raleigh?" He's shouting now, one of his fists slams against the counter top as his nostrils flare and his jaw tenses. "I'll attract all the bad ones? If you haven't fucking noticed, I already do. Can't find someone who'll stay past the night anyways. A guy who wants more than to just fuck my cute arse before running off to his family again."

Raleigh recoils, looking hurt but also sympathetic. He sighs, attempting to soothe, "That's not what I going to say. I-"

Chuck interrupts him again, more irritated than anger. "Then what? What were you gonna say? That I'm damaged goods?"  _That no one could possibly want a foster orphan like me? Not after I whored and slutted myself out to every guy that gave me even a lick of attention._ "Tell me," he challenges Raleigh, eyes rimming red with self-guilt.  _Tell me that I'm worthless because of everything I did to myself. We both know it._

Nothing is said for a long minute. Raleigh sits there and watches him as Chuck bites down on his rage, painfully grinding his teeth together. He knows Raleigh has more to say, always does. He just wishes it wasn't about this. Another lecture from another person who supposedly cares about him, telling Chuck how he was looking for love in all the wrong places.

_Maybe I'm not looking for love._

"You're not," Raleigh says, knifing the silence, his face even and steady and their eyes leveled. "You don't have to do this. You're so much better than this, better than those guys."

_But I'm not,_ Chuck thinks, _not really._

"I'm going out," he announces suddenly, tired of arguing with Raleigh. Rising from his seat, Chuck marches into his room, refusing to acknowledge his best friend's objection.

"Chuck, I-" Raleigh attempts from the living room.

"I'm not going to look for a quick fuck, if that's what you're worried about," Chuck reassures him as he strides out his room, jacket, wallet, and keys in hand. 

"I'm not. Chuck, just-"

He's out the door before Raleigh can finish his protest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I decided to add a bit of angst and tragic backstory to Chuck. Hope that's okay...

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea how frequent I'll be with this fic, seeing as how I'm a major procrastinator. But I've been pretty good with all things Hansen so far, so. No promises, though.


End file.
